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252 Chronicles of the Cape Fear Rwer

find the names of William Cameron, John S. James, L. H.
Marsteller, Bela H. Jacobs, P. W. Fanning, John MacRae,
Augustus Ramousin, Joshua James, E. H. Wingate, J. F.
Gianople, J. P. Brownlow, A. A. Brown, J. McColl, W. E.
Blaney, E. Withington, Daniel Sherwood, C. Manning, William
Lowry, W. N. Peden, Dr. W. J. Price, R. J. Dorsey, Daniel
Dickson, Roger Moore, W. A. Allen.

William Cameron was a born actor, possessing great versa-
tility of talents, and was passionately fond of theatrical amuse-
ments. Later in life he removed farther South.

Lewis H. Marsteller, a descendant of Col. Lewis D. Mars-
teller, distinguished in the Revolution and one of the pallbearers
of General Washington, at an early age came to Wilmington
from Virginia. He played the sentimental gentleman, and was
easy and natural on the stage. He was at one time the most
popular man in the county and was never defeated before the
people. He was collector of customs and clerk of the court.

Price, Jacobs, Wingate, Brown, Moore, Withington, Ramou-
sin, Gianople, Brownlow, and Dickson were all good actors and
reflected credit on the association.

There were but few better amateur performers than John S.
James. His conception and delineation of the powerfully drawn
character of Pescara in The Apostate, equaled and in many
instances surpassed the best efforts of celebrated performers.
P. W. Fanning played the old man with such success that he is
still remembered by the play-going people of those days as that
“good old man”; while Sherwood, with his fine figure and
charming voice, bore off the palm in genteel comedy.

This association after a time met the fate of its predecessors,
and the theatre remained closed until about the year 1846, when
the fourth and last association was organized. Its first presi-
dent was Col. James T. Miller; Donald MacRae was secretary
and treasurer; S. R. Ford, stage manager, and Dr. W. W. Har-
riss, prompter. On the roll of members were the names of
Thomas Sanford, William Hill, Adam Empie, E. D. Hall, J. G.
Burr, E. A. Cushing, John C. MacRae, John R. Reston, John
J. Hedrick, Talcott Burr, jr., A. O. Bradley, John Walker,
W. W. Harriss, J. T. Watts, J. G. Green, W. H. Lippitt,
John L. Meares, Donald MacRae, John Cowan, J. J. Lippitt,
George Harriss, Mauger London, W. A. Burr, R. H. Cowan,
H. W. Burgwyn, H. P. Russell, Edward Cantwell, J. B. Rus-
sell, W. B. Meares, L. H. Pierce, W. D. Cowan, G. L. Dudley,

Interesting Memories 253

R. F. Langdon, E. A. Keith, F. N. Waddell, J. S. Williams,
Robert Lindsay, Wilkes Morris, Eli W. Hall, W. M. Harriss,
S. R. Ford, J. T. Miller, Alfred Martin, Stephen Jewett, A. H.
VanBokkelen, T. C. McIlhenny, F. J. Lord, J. A. Baker,
A. M. Waddell, C. W. Myers, F. P. Poisson, J. H. Flanner,
DuBrutz Outlar, Edward Savage, Robert Strange, William
Reston, J. R. London, George Myers, Henry Savage, James A.
Wright, O. S. Baldwin, L. H. DeRosset, J. Hill Wright. ©

“Of the merits of this company,” says Colonel Burr, “it may
not be proper for us to speak, as so many of its members are
still living in our midst—suffice it to say that in ability and
histrionic talent it was fully up to the standard of the preceding
associations.” After much labor and expense in repairing the
building, many delays, disappointments, and discouragements,
the opening night at length arrived. The play was The Lady
of Lyons, the afterpiece “Tis All a Farce, with the following
cast of characters:

Tue LaApy or LYOoNs.

Claude Melnotte William Hill
Beauseant A. O. Bradley
Talcott Burr, jr.

Colonel Damas Robert Lindsay
John Walker

Pe ART a ities id eek oes bas Os Ow EK. A. Keith
Landlord

TONOR: Mame. A hh RBIS IE J. J. Lippitt

’"Tis ALL A FARCE.

SRE reaper ie ane Sey the RRS Sor ire ee ae E. D. Hall
Belgardo Adam Empie
— Gortes Mauger London

es aby ow po er CUS MEV EN SSS COONS: ENTE REO E. A. Cushing
NIN sinc i Sos. Be oreo tern, oe eS J. J. Hedrick

The theatre was filled to its utmost capacity with a brilliant

and excited audience, for to add to the interest of the occasion
the names of the debutants of popular favor had been kept a
profound secret. There was not one among them who had ever
appeared in front of the footlights, and the excitement and ap-
prehension, therefore, behind the scenes, incident to a first ap-

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